Wedge-lock means for slidable side jaw wrenches



A118. 9, 1960 T. L. BONKOWSKI 2,948,175

WEDGE-LOCK MEANS FOR SLIDABLE SIDE JAw WRENCHES Filed Nov. 12, 1958 7 INVENTOR. 720/71 1. 50mm 14 5/17 ATTO/ZNEYS United States Patent M Patented Aug. 9, 1960- WEDGE-LOCK MEANS FOR SLIDABLE SIDE J JAW WRENCHES Teofil L. Bonkowski, 8920 Wonderland Ave., Los Angeles 46, Calif.v

Filed Nov. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 773,405

7 Claims. (Cl. 81-154) i This invention relates to hand wrenches, and included its adjustment, that is, is capable of withstanding repeatedv use without change in the spacing between the jaws, but which, when desirable, may be readily and quickly changed to another adjustment.

' Third, to provide a hand wrench which is capable of an infinite number of adjustments to fit all sizes of ob jects within the range of the wrench.

Fourth, to provide a hand wrench which is. simple and economical of manufacture, and thus competitive in price with conventional wrenches.

- With the above and other objects in view, as may appear'hereinafter, reference is directed to' the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary side view of the hand wrench. with a portion of the wrench body broken away and in Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing th portion of the body member and the releasing wedge with a modified form of releasing means;

Fig. is a fragmentary sectional view through section line 55 of Fig. 6, showing a further modified form of body member and releasing wedge;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary partial sectional, partial side view thereof, showing the body member and modified releasing wedge. V

The hand wrench includes a body member 1 having the general outline of the conventional crescent wrench. The body member 1 is provided with an end face 2, from one extremity of which extends a fixed jaw '3. A handle 4 extends from the opposite side of the body member from the end face 2, and-preferably in angular relation to,the' fixed jaw 3. 1 1

Within the body member 1 there isformed a wedge cavity 5 located between the end face 2 and the handle 4., .Theiextre'mities of..the. cavity 5.-intersect the: upper end of, the-body, ,member havingthe -.fixed. jaw 3 well as the lower end of the body member remote from. the fixed jaw.

The wedge cavity 5 is provided with opposed wedge walls 6 and 7. The wedge wall 6 extends parallel to the end face 2 and is divided by a slit 8 communicating between the end face 2 and the wedge cavity 5. The opposite wedge wall 7 converges downwardly toward the wedge wall 6. The wedge wall 7 is intersected by a bore 9 extending downwardly and diverging from the wedge wall 6. .Ihe upper portion of the bore 9 is counterbored so as to form a stop shoulder. I

A movable jaw 10'is provided which is joined to a web 11. The web in turn is joined to a first or closing wedge member 12. The wedge member 12 is adapted to ride in the wedge'cavity 5, and is provided with shoulders 13 at opposite sides of the web 11 which bear against the wedge wall 6. The web 11 fits slidably in the slit 8.

The movable jaw 10 is thus movable to and from the,

fixed jaw 3. The fixed and movable jaws have jaw faces which are parallel to each other. i

The side of the first wedge member 12 remote from the shoulders 13 converges downwardly relative to the shoulders. A second or releasing wedge member 14 is mounted between the first wedge member 12 and the wedge wall 7'. The opposite sides of the wedge member 14 also converge downwardly. The two wedge members are provided with sockets 15 and 16 which receive springs 17 and 18.

The upper end of the wedge cavity 5 is closed by a' plug 19 which may be held therein by a rivet 20. The

' lower' side of the plug 19 is stepped to form faces 21 and 22' confronting the upper ends of the wedge members 12 and 14.

Fitted in the face 21 is a pin 23 which extends into 22 to receive the upper end of the spring 18'.

' The side of the wedge 14 confronting the wedge wall 7 is provided with a notch 25 which overlies the bore 9.

. Slidably mounted in the bore 9 is a release pin 26, the

. ber- 12. to be turned, is placed between the open jaws, and the upper end of which fits in the notch 25 to engage the wedge member 14 and the lower end of which protrudes from the lower side of the wrench for manual engagement.

Operation of the hand wrench is as follows: 7

The movable jaw 10 and its wedge member 12may be moved manually upwardly toward the fixed jaw 3 and in opposition to the spring 17. It will be observed that movement in this direction tends to free the wedge mem- In practice the bolt or nut, or other device,

movable jaw is forced manually against the device. Return movement is prevented by the interaction of the wedge members 12 and 14 so that the spacing between the jaws remains fixed during the use of the wrench.

-When it is desired-to expand the jaws, the protruding end of the pin 26 is engaged to lift the releasing wedge member 14 free of the wedge member 12, so that the spring 17 can urge the movable jaw to its fully extended position. The upward movement of the releasing wedge member 14 is limited by the face 22, so that when the wedge member is in its upper extreme position the downward movement of the movable jaw and its wedge mem--* ber is limited by wedging engagement between the wedge wall 6 and the wedge member 14'. It willbe noted that the taper of the wedge member 12 is considerably lessv than the taper ofthewedge member14, and as a conse-' quence the travel of the wedge member is fr'elatively'.

short.

The side .walls of-thewedge cavity 5 adjacent thewed'ge wall 7 maybe provided withismall "ribs 27 paralleling-r theflwedge wall 7, andthef releasing wedge member 14;:

lower end and the lower end of the web 29 form a protruding, manually engageable, face 31.

Operation of the modified hand wrench is identical to the first described structure.

' Reference is now directed to Figs. 5 and 6. Inthe construction here shown; the wedge wall 7 isprovided withalongitudinal slit" 32, which intersects a bore 33 parallel with the wall 7. The releasing wedge member 14 is provided with a web 34 terminating in a bead 35 which slides respectively in the slit 32 and the bore 33. The releasing wedge member 14 is thus guided in a path parallel to the wedge wall 7. In this construction the spring 18- may be located in the bore 33 and the plug 19 may be provided with an extension 36 overlying the upper end of the bore 33.

The lower extremities of the releasing wedge member 14, web 34, and bead 35 project below the lower end of the body member 1 to form a manually engageable face 37.

Operation of the wrench construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is similar to the previously described structures.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details of the constructions set forth, and it embraces such changes, modifications, and equivalents of the parts and'their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1'. A wrench, comprising: a body member having a fixed jaw and a wedge cavity at one side of said fixed jaw; a movable jaw confronting said fixed jaw; a first wedge carried by said movable jaw and slidable in said wedge cavity; a second wedge mounted in said wedge cavity, said wedges having mutually engageable surfaces and remote surfaces, the latter engageable with the opposite sides of said wedge cavity, the sides of said wedges and wedge cavity converging in a direction away from said fixed jaw; said wedges cooperating to lock said movable jaw against movement away from said fixed jaw; means for manually operating said second wedge to release said first wedge and movable jaw for adjustment of the posi tion of said movable jaw relative to said fixed jaw; abutment means at the larger end of said wedge cavity confronting the larger end of each wedge; and a spring disposed between each abutment means and its corresponding wedge, to urge each of said wedges independently into wedging relation, whereby on release of said second wedge said movable jaw is urged to its distal position relative to said fixed jaw.

2. A wrench as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said means for operating the second wedge is a pin slidably mounted in said body member with one end engageable with said second wedge, and its opposite end protruding from said body member for manual engagement.

3. A wrench as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said means for operating the second wedge is a web integral with said wedge, and protruding from said body member for manual engagement.

4. A wrench as set forth in claim 1, wherein: rib and channel guide means are provided in said second wedge and said cavity parallel to said converging wall to restrain said second wedge to movement parallel to said converging wall.

5. A wrench as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said body member is provided with a bore parallel to and beyond said converging wall and a slot connecting said bore with said cavity through said converging wall; and said second Wedge is provided with a web and bead, fitting respectively said slot and bore, to guide said second wedge in a path parallel to said converging wall.

6. A wrench, comprising: a body member having an end face and a fixed jaw at one end thereof; said body member defining a slot extending longitudinally of said face and a wedge cavity communicating with said slot, and defining therewith bearing shoulders parallel with said end face, said wedge cavity also defining a wall converging toward said shoulders in a direction away from said fixed jaw; a movable jaw, movable along said end face to and from said fixed jaw; a web extending from said movable jaw and slidable in said slot; a first wedge joined to said web and slidable in said wedge cavity along said bearing shoulders; a second wedge between said first wedge and said converging wall of the wedge cavity, said wedges adapted to cooperate by wedging together and between said shoulders and converging wall to lock said movable jaw relative to said fixed jaw; means for manually operating said second wedge to release said first wedge and movable jaw for adjustment of the position of said movable jaw relative to said fixed jaw; abutment means at the larger end of said wedge cavity confronting the larger end of each wedge; and a spring disposed between each abutment means and its corresponding wedge, to urge each of said wedges independently into wedging relation, whereby on release of said second wedge said movable jaw is urged to its distal position relative to said fixed jaw.

7. A device for effecting relative adjustment between a fixed member and a confronting movable member, comprising: a body structure joined to said fixed member and defining a wedge cavity at one side thereof intersecting opposite ends of said body member, the larger end of said wedge cavity being at the end of said body member having said fixedv member; a first wedge carried by said movable member and slidable in said. wedge cavity; a. second wedge in said wedge cavity, said wedges having mutually engageable surfaces and remote surfaces, the

whereby on release of said second wedge, said first wedge and movable member are urged towards their distal positions relative to said fixed member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 792,213 House June 13, 1905 872,117 Gentry Nov. 26, 1907' 1,389,487 Cassel Aug. 30, 1921 1,500,310 Hacheney July 8, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS 53,509 Sweden Jan. 17, 1923 573,685 France Mar. 15, 1924 

